Ruse
by FireAndSteel
Summary: The Greeks weren't built for war. They were a peaceful, thinking people. But when it came to them, overwhelmed them, transformed them... they'd fight back with bloody vengeance.
1. Prologue: Fall

**_-4000 BC-_**

* * *

Warm air brushed gently against my face and the cawing of seagulls made their way into my ears. An involuntary sigh of happiness left my mouth, though it was soon interrupted with a shout.

"He's awake!"

I jumped, startled. Opening my eyes, I immediately winced at the intensity of the light around me and could only barely make out the man beside me.

"Oh great leader, how it is good to see you-" the man began to ramble.

I cut him off. "Water..." I croaked out.

The man was surprised, "Oh goodness, yes; water for his Majesty!" he called.

After a sizeable and thankfully silent delay, another man shuffled in with a pot of water. I took it and lapped it up greedily.

Sitting up, I began to take note of my surroundings.

It seemed like a Spartan room, with very few features of note. The most prominent objects in the room were, of course, his bed, and a peculiar looking clock opposite to him. A window let in some bright light; there was no other light source, but the sun alone was sufficient, it seemed. The floor was dusted with some flour-like white substance, but he put that out of his mind when the man opposite him began talking.

"Alexander - if I may call you that, of course -" He paused, and I nodded, confused.

"Alexander, you've just woken up from a long, long sleep. The sun," he pointed upwards, at nothing in particular, "has returned over a hundred times, sir. You may not remember anything; we didn't at the beginning either. Our only memory really only seems to be a common language, and these buckets of gold we arrived with."

This was too much information for someone who was just waking up, so I tried to change the subject.

"I," I coughed, "Where am I?"

"A makeshift cottage, sir. We have no plans to settle here, but we have the luxury of skilled woodcrafters accompanying us. Your bed is made of some material we found a fair distance from here - it was made just for you. We all look to you as a leader, Alexander, though none of us can recall why."

And it all came storming back. A voice, my father, his dream... My destiny, laid out before me. It was glorious! The civilisation of... of...

"What are we all?" my odd question didn't seem to deter him in the slightest; he raised his posture.

"Why, we are all Greeks, my lord Alexander! The finest of the world's civilisations! Democracy, the arts, the sciences, the theatre; all created by a Greek!"

"When?" Alexander inquired, "When were they invented?"

The man sat stock still.

"I... I do not know. I know they were, I know what they are, but..."

"I fear this is not just affecting us, my friend. You look healthy, but I do not for one instance think you are 100 days old!"

"Days, my lord?"

"100 revolutions of the sun around our world."

"I... well, yes, but this, this memory loss - how could it be?"

"I'm not sure we'll ever know, my friend. By the way, what is your name?"

"Ambrosius, my lord."

"Well, Ambrosius," I smiled as warmly as I could in my state, "Let us partake in some lighter conversation. Have you heard of a delightful poet and author named Homer?"

Ambrosius smiled tentatively.

* * *

_**-3950 BC/3rd Person-**_

* * *

"Alas, my friend, it is time for me to pass..." Ambrosius smiled.

Alexander smiled too, a tear running down his cheek, "You were my brother; your works and legacy will remain in the hearts of Greeks for eternity, I assure you that."

"I wish I could find happiness in that thought."

"You think too much, Ambrosius, lighten up!"

He chuckled weakly, "Making jokes on my deathbed? Shame on you, Alexander, shame on you!"

"You've been wanting to see this moment for your entire life, I cannot help but to do that."

"I know... it feels surreal, to say the least. Am I meeting my ancestors, or nothing? Is this all there is?"

"I wish I could tell you that, friend."

"And all this time," he sighed, "You have aged none. I envy you, in a small portion of my mind, but I envy more who will next keep your company..."

"Getting jealous, Ambrosius?" He laughed, "Of course, I'll need someone to spend the rest of eternity with; and it'll be you, my friend. In my heart, my mind."

"Good... good to know..." And with that, he fluttered out of existence.

It was then that Alexander broke. The whole palace seemed to shake with his primal scream of sorrow and anger at the Gods for what they did to his companion.

* * *

The next few hundred years were fraught with hard work and pressure for the Greek people. All but Alexander eventually aged and died. However, over the years, the Greek people scoured their continent for signs of other civilisations. Whilst they didn't find any of those, what they did find was their first step towards becoming a world power.

"Sir, it is true. The sightings have genuinely reported that there are hostiles in the continent, and various camps of them also litter the continent." The advisor told him with no veiled disgust.

Alexander scratched his chin thoughtfully. There was only one real option at the moment; these barbarians (the name had come naturally, for some reason) would not negotiate, and would attack as much as they could.

"We must commission another division." He said, bluntly.

The economic advisor's eyes widened fractionally. The foreign and science advisors looked mildly interested whilst the military advisor's grin nearly split his face in two.

"Of course, sir!" His military advisor, Ampelio, said, "If I must place in a suggestion, I would very highly recommend a force of Hoplites to be conscripted into service."

"Ah, our finest. I see little reason why not; our economy is holding itself up well!"

"Is it done then? Should I call a force into commission?"

"Yes, you should," he gave a feral smile, "And I shall be the one to lead them into battle!"

His declaration was met with little opposition.

* * *

And over those few hundred years, the city of Athens had transformed. From what was once a community of settlers and workers, it had become a thriving city of collection and wealth. Tall spires from the palace and civic buildings gave shade for many hundreds of metres to the civilians below them. Single storey houses filled the entire city, and their order, with the beauty enhanced due to the elegant craftsmen weaving the masonry in with the resources available, made the city what it was; a city for the people. It was with this mind that Alexander set about his newest plans.

For years now, many of the people had been philosophers, and early forms of rationalists. The open education which was rewarded by the government of Athens had made the Greeks an educated people, and Alexander wasn't about to discourage that. In fact, his new plans fit right into that ideology.

He proposed the construction of a Great Library, which would be the envy of the world. Inside would be facilities which would never have been seen before. The Greek people would be overseen by the great philosophers, as they taught them and supervised them. There would be places for the people to write, and a vault where their works would be preserved. There would be a place for the rationalists, where they could conduct experiments. There would be a place for the philosophers, where they could discuss with ease and relaxation. It would be the greatest educational facility known to man. And the Greeks would build it.

It would take many, many years. The beginnings would take place with further expeditions into ancient ruins, where they would extract scriptures and translate them; Alexander saw all this and smiled, content with his ministrations. Athens would be the city of wonders, and he'd be at its helm.

Once it was built, the Greek civilisation saw a huge technological boost, and the initial frenzy saw them discovering the secrets of Sailing in a matter of months. However, the Greeks could not utilise this, and so a chain of events would take place that would further cement Greece into the world.

* * *

**It might seem like it, but this isn't actually a story based on a save game. I just thought that it'd be fun to write up an account of Greece in the game!  
R&R, thanks, but I'm not too hopeful, seems a bit empty around here :p More to come soon!**


	2. First Sight

**-3000BC-**

* * *

"Tell me more, Caecilio."

"Of course sir, let's see... Ah yes; the latest report from the scouting party indeed indicates that there is indeed another civilization forming to our west. With some limited contact with the farmers working on the outskirts of a small town, we have noted that they speak a completely different language to us, and have no contact with foreigners - much like the Greeks in that respect - as we were simply met with odd glances. Any questions, sir?"

"Did you catch what they call themselves?"

"We believe that they call themselves the Deutsche."

"Marvellous! I believe that I should go and visit them along with an entourage, if that is wise by your judgement."

Caecilio refrained from rolling his eyes - if he didn't provide the entourage, Alexander would go anyway.

"Of course, you'll go on our finest horses, sir."

"You mean our only horses, right?"

"Yes, sir, whatever."

Alexander grinned. His 'Advisor Counsel' was more of a clique than a special advisory body to the head of state, as it was meant to be.

**&&RUSE&&**

With this new outbreak in transport, the travel time from Athens to their location was reduced to a matter of weeks, with a camp being set up at every stop. Occasionally, the party would stumble across a village, where they would usually spend the night, if they had some sort of inn.

Alexander's company was composed of his guard and a few friends, what with his social character, however, he made new ones at every stop he made.

After long last, they finally reached the town of the Deutsche people. Right now, however, it looked like there was a huge construction project going on. The company ignored it and marched into the town, where they were met with many frightful and confused looks until they met a street full of men armed to the... well, _armed_ with clubs. One soldier, at the helm of this rather pathetic blockade - in the face of the hoplites' spears, at least - ran forward.

"Was-" he gulped at the intimidating look he received, "Was machen Sie denn hier?"

The soldier at his front said, "Take us to your leader."

"Was?"

Alexander cut in, "Your leader," he pointed at the soldier, then himself, "Take us to your leader." He indicated the group around him.

The soldier looked nonplussed, but then it dawned on him. The soldier nodded his head furiously, and turned back to the contingent of club wielding men behind him.

"Folgen Sie mir." He said, pointing ahead of him.

After a very short walk through the streets of the town, they reached a well-sized building with an elaborate flag displaying at its helm. Alexander raised his eyebrows at the decor.

They walked in, and the soldier led him to a door, leaving the others outside. The soldier went inside, exchanged a few words with the inhabitant and returned back out in the space of a few minutes. Alexander was stood, waiting in a rather modest hallway during this.

He noticed the rather beautiful woodwork and designs in the hallway, which was something you just wouldn't find in Athens, the city of cascading, beautiful marble; decorated with Greek silk; furnished with Greek stone and sprinkled with the finest festivals. There wasn't a city quite like it.

This town, though, had its own distinct feel. The hatchery of the rooftops and wooden houses brought out a cosy feel which wasn't found back in Athens. There were fire lamps in the corner of the streets, finely carved streets, and, by the looks of it, metal. It was smaller than Athens, but he was sure that it could be just as grand if it took the time to be.

He looked up when he heard a cough from the door. The soldier was standing there, and he gestured in somewhat impatiently.

Alexander walked in silently, giving a nod of acknowledgement to the soldier on his way in.

"Please. come in."

Alexander turned his head very quickly, remembering to hide his shocked look moments before the turn had finished.

"Of course," he stepped in gracefully.

"Let us begin, my friend. I trust you are the leader of another civilization?"

"Yes. I am Alexander, the son of the Gods. I trust you are a friend to Athens and the Greek people?" he said, outstretching his hand.

"Bismarck, commander. I trust you are the same to Berlin and the Germans?" Bismarck said, stretching out his hand, also.

Alexander gave a calculated, slow nod of affirmation. Bismarck returned a smile of approval; they clasped the others hand and shook firmly. This was the beginning of the first alliance the world had seen.

**-2800BC-**

They had circled the camp for many minutes now. Despite the very best reports they could obtain from the scouts, all they could see was that there were over three hundred hostile men living in this camp. They needed to take it out, and it had taken many, many years for the establishment at home to give the green light. They were sending their own sons to a battle - no one could ignore that. They had waited for research to take place, new spears to be developed, a new unit to be formed - the Archer unit, consisting of only about fifty men. The army alone made up about 20% of the men in the city of Athens now. Some of the men were even borne of Germans, as migrants had flocked a few years back during a time of instability for the German state. Alexander had responded to this by sending some volunteers back, strengthening the close relationship between the countries.

Back to the here and present, the commander was about to yell the command. He could feel it. For such an overwhelming moment, the soldier thought, it certainly didn't feel like one.

"CHARGE!"

Or maybe it did, he thought, giving out a primal scream along with the rest of the frontline. The challengers had come out to face them, and he grinned with blood lust. He wasn't going to go down today.

It seemed that barely a moment had passed - he jammed his spear into the assailant's arm. Ignoring the scream, he elbowed the man in the face. They had what they were coming for, he sneered, after kidnapping and killing tens of Greek workers.

He didn't pause to dream in the slight melodrama, though. A quick swing of his shield blocked the club set o cleave his head open. Another jab of his spear in the direction of the club had him slam his armoured boot in his attacker's stomach. This was almost too easy.

What the Greeks had on skill against these barbarians, they had on them sheer _cannon fodder. _A steady stream of club-wielding, roaring men and women emerged from the camp, congregating at the palisade 'wall' of the camp. A break had been made through this palisade, and the Greeks went rushing in - this was their biggest misstake.

The Barbarians had no commander as such, but they were built for this. Behind the palisade, the Greeks were away from archer support, and within the Barbarian's grasp. Even the Phalanx formation could have saved them, with its deadly wall of spears, but such was the bad luck here that the Greeks were in fact surrounded. The instant charges of the Barbarians made returning outside nigh impossible. The final nail in the coffin was bashed in in a matter of moments.

The soldier himself could not get in due to flurry of people inside. He was lucky. A second later, a loud, guttural scream rang out from behind him - the commander was being attacked! He ran to the commander's aid - a quick flurry of a spear and bash of the shield straight in the bastard's face was enough, he reckoned, vindictively. Upon laying his eyes on the commander, though, his eyes became wide. The commander... had died?

Shaking himself out of the reverie, he ran back to the mess of Greeks, where he was undisturbed and unaware of what exactly was happening halfway in the camp. Coughing slightly to prepare for the next action, he leaned back and roared, at the top of his very lungs -

"COMMANDER HAS FALLEN! RUN AWAY! COMMANDER HAS FALLEN! RUN AWAY! CONTINGENCY PLAN WILL BE EXECUTED!"

A loud commotion sprung up inside, but he was running already. He had to get to the archers as quickly as he could.

In the camp, the remaining Greeks, maybe twenty or so our of over a hundred originally, had been disarmed and surrounded. A small, predatory circle of grinning lunatics had formed around them; they were helpless. They all prayed to the Gods, Alexander, the lot. The more ardent of them had closed their eyes, awaiting a place in Mount Olympus. The others... they had simply closed their eyes.

Then, at the helm of the circle, the Barbarian made a hand motion. A motion of cutting the neck. At first, there was a little confusion among the less intelligent in the group. Then, the circle closed in, slowly decreasing the space between the Greeks and themselves. Their repugnant smell set itself in the Greeks' noses as they grew ever closer. At last, after a long suspense, the supposed leader growled out, in rough, wolfish Greek,

"No mercy."

The first club swung, and a shout of pain accompanied the sickening crack of stone against bone.

"No peace."

Another swing, another scream. Some laughter resounded in the background.

"NO DEFEAT!"

The circle was suddenly a flurry of primal screams, as cracks and screams rang all about. Laughter soon joined in from the Barbarian ranks, as the massacre finished off. It was the first stepping stone that would transform Greece.

Meanwhile, the soldier had stopped, at the top of the hill, and had watched the massacre from afar. He was sickened by the sight, and shock itself would really only set in later. Right now, he turned back and ran to the archers, just a few metres behind him. He said only three words to the archer commander, in a broken, guttural voice.

"Burn it down."

* * *

**_I loved writing this chapter! I hope you like reading it as much as I liked writing it - but if you didn't, tell me why!_**

**_Oh, if you ever write a battle scene, I recommend having _Two Steps From Hell - Heart of Courage _on in the background. It motivates you so damn well! Recommended for beasting your way through homework, also xD_**

**R&R, please :)**


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